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2 Federal Legislation / Regulation  Expect a very active Congress and Administration  Democrats have control of the US House and Senate –House: 259 Ds, 178 Rs, 1 Independent –Senate: 57 Ds, 41 Rs, 2 Independents who caucus with Ds,  New president was one of the most liberal US Senators  Labor unions spent tens of millions on candidates who would support their agenda  Employers will have to become active to be sure Congress and Administration understand the impact of their actions on employers

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4 Federal Legislation / Regulation What has already passed  Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act ( H.R. 11 / S. 181) –Eliminated time limits to file pay discrimination claims  Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization ( H.R. 2 / S. 275) –Reauthorizes & expands State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP)  FMLA Expansion for Military Service Family Members and Caregivers (H.R. 1585) –Provides FMLA-protected leave to employees caring for injured military service members and to family members of service members called to active duty

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5 Federal Legislation / Regulation What has already passed  American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (H.R. 1 ) –COBRA continuation subsidy of 65% for up to 9 months –Unemployment benefits extended for as long as 33 weeks –Unemployment benefits increased $25 per week –Incentive fund for states to change unemployment insurance programs to cover workers who quit to care for a sick family member and certain part-time workers –Funding for national study on comparative effectiveness of medical treatments –Funding to accelerate development and adoption of national health information technology infrastructure –More stringent HIPAA requirements

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11 Federal Legislation What may be on the horizon  Civil Rights Act –Major rewrite of numerous workplace discrimination law  Re-Empowerment of Skilled and Professional Employees and Construction Tradeworkers (RESPECT) Act –Changes NLRB definition of supervisor  National Commission on State Workers' Compensation Laws Act of 2009 (H.R. 635) –Establishes commission to study & evaluate adequacy of state workers compensation laws

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12 Federal Legislation What may be on the horizon  401(k) and IRA plan changes –Eliminate tax-favored treatment –Replace with government-run program similar to Social Security  Energy & climate change legislation –Significant increases in electricity costs –Billions in new revenue generated for federal government –Under cap & trade proposal, Ohio increased cost projected to be $11.2 billion ($975 per person) per year

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15 Participative Democracy  Government impacts all aspects of American business  Policies & laws shaped by many special interest groups  Voters support candidates who reflect their thinking  All sides can speak & participate in political process

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16 What Can You Do?  Watch & evaluate impact of proposed legislation & regulations  Join organizations  Establish relationships with elected & appointed government officials  Participate in political process  Participate in election process  Communicate! With government officials and your associates

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17 Questions? “America is not governed by the majority, but governed by the majority of those who participate.” Thomas Jefferson